Faraz Khorsandi has only been at Lakehead since 2022, but during this short time he’s become a vital member of our community known for his willingness to lend a hand to anyone in need.
Looking out for others comes naturally to Faraz. Long before arriving in Thunder Bay, he was a committed volunteer in his hometown of Isfahan—a historic city that was once the capital of Iran. “It has lots of monuments, bridges, museums, parks, and a river running through it, even though it’s in the middle of the desert,” Faraz says.
While completing his Bachelor of Engineering degree at the University of Isfahan, Faraz fundraised for the Red Crescent Society to help the Omid (Hope) Children’s Cancer Hospital purchase equipment and technology to treat their young patients. He also joined Fanoos (a non-profit organization whose name means lantern of hope) to offer emotional support to children with cancer.
“As a social care worker, I spent time at the hospital playing games with the kids and talking to them. I was blessed by the experience, and their bravery amazed me, but it took a toll on me—you’d make friends with children, and two weeks later they’d be gone.”
After graduating from Isfahan, Faraz made the decision to study overseas in Lakehead’s Master of Science in Civil Engineering program. Moving across the world, however, required some adjustment.
“I was used to my hometown of five or six million people and to warmer weather,” he says. Fortunately, getting to know the spaces and services on campus soon made Faraz feel comfortable. “I started hanging out at The Study and The Outpost and playing intramurals. And I was truly amazed by the amount of support we were offered, whether it was getting my CV done at the Student Success Centre or just chilling out in the Lakehead International lounge playing video games. Lakehead quickly became a second family away from home.”
Faraz also found ways to help other students by joining the Lakehead University Student Union (LUSU) and by volunteering, and later working, as a student assistant with Lakehead International. In this role, he noticed that more international students were requesting assistance with finding housing, prompting Faraz to run for LUSU president to address this issue.
“I pushed to expand homestay options for international students,” he says. “A lot of older people in Thunder Bay have spaces available in their homes for students, and homestay options were already available for high school students and people taking short-term courses like English as a second language.”
Faraz is just as passionate about food security and has volunteered with LUSU’s Food Resource Centre and Thunder Bay’s Good Food Box program, which provides subsidized food for low-income people.
He is now finishing his second term as LUSU president and is looking for engineering jobs after receiving his master’s degree in May 2024. “I’d like to pursue the project management side of civil engineering and I’m considering politics, too, because I’m really drawn to community work.”
As Faraz said in his convocation speech: “It’s upon us to be the agents of change for good and advocate for the betterment of humanity. By supporting each other and staying committed to our principles, we can overcome challenges and achieve remarkable things.”
Faraz (second from right) and his girlfriend, Master of Education graduate Parinaz Gharooni Beigi, celebrate receiving their degrees with two of their friends. “I want to thank the Alumni Association of Lakehead University for their support of LUSU,” Faraz says. “Mark Tilbury and Yolanda Wanakamik with the Alumni Association always back us up and want the best for students.”